The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant:
U.S. patentsPat. No.Kind CodeIssue DatePatenteeD463,697SOct. 1, 2002Klein et al.6,464,086B1Oct. 15, 2002Klein et al.U.S. patent application PublicationPublication Nr.Kind CodeIssue DateApplicant2003/0085188A1May 8, 2003Klein et al.2004/0007549A1Jan. 15, 2004Klein et al.
For many decades the three tiered hanging wire basket array was a staple in the kitchen for storing vegetables. It can be conveniently hung above the kitchen counter and is often hung above appliances on the counter.
A drawback with the present configuration is the difficulty in accessing the upper basket to find a particular vegetable specimen, as looking into the upper baskets is a challenge for the average sized person. When this basket array is raised higher over the counter to accommodate appliances already occupying the counter space, it becomes more challenging to access the contents for most users.
Several types of hanging units have been designed to hang on the back of doors that provide an alternative option for storing items; most recently as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,086 (2002), U.S. Pat. No. D463,697 (2002), and U.S. publications 2003/0085188 (2003), 2004/0007549 (2004), all to Klein et al. The functional design of these hanging units limits their utility to doors in bathrooms and other spaces were similar products are used. Further, the utility of this arrangement is manly limited to items that stand up on their base, such as shampoo bottles and other similar items.
Thus there is a need for a hanging storage unit that securely holds disparate and oddly shaped items such as fruits and vegetables, as well as other similarly shaped items. An array of hanging baskets, which pivots open on a fulcrum axis to conveniently expose the contents for easy access will allow more storage in a given space.
In order to provide for a stable hanging storage container, the mass of each hanging basket will hang below the fulcrum axis; this provides the baskets with a low center of gravity. A basket with a substantial portion of its mass below the fulcrum axis is more stable and will readily find a new center of gravity, achieving equilibrium without dislodging the contents.